John,

This week, in an effort to preempt reform efforts, the Supreme Court unveiled a new, completely toothless ethics code of conduct that experts have decried as nothing more than a public relations stunt designed to distract from the corruption scandals of Justices Thomas, Alito and their colleagues.

Just look at this headline:

We’ve been fighting to hold justices accountable for their repeated failures to disclose gifts and recuse themselves from cases containing blatant conflicts of interest as they gear up to hear Moore v. United States, potentially the most significant tax case of the century. Now it’s time for Congress to act.

Sign now to demand Congress pass the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act to create the strongest possible code of conduct for our highest court.

Justice Samuel Alito:

• Accepted luxury travel valued at over $100,000 from hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer at the same time that Singer had a case before the Court. Alito neither disclosed the gifts nor recused himself from the case, which ultimately rewarded Singer with a $2.4 billion payout.[1]

• Has maintained close and lucrative ties with Singer, who now stands to profit handsomely from not only the Moore tax case this term, but also a separate case filed by predatory lenders challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.[2][3]

Justice Clarence Thomas:

• Has accepted lavish gifts and big cash payments from a small group of billionaires over the course of two decades, allowing him and his family to live in extreme luxury that they could never have afforded on their own, including: all-expenses paid travel on super yachts and private jets, secret all-male luxury retreats for the super-rich, swanky box suites at big-ticket events, major home renovations and property purchases, and even private school tuition for a close family member.[4][5][6][7][8]

• Has received “at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, six helicopter flights, yacht voyages (including to the Bahamas), a dozen VIP passes to sporting events, and much, much more” from billionaires including Harlan Crow, David Sokol, Wayne Huizenga, and Paul Novelly—all of whom stand to profit enormously from a favorable decision in Moore.[9]

• Has received sizable cash transfers to Thomas’s wife, Ginni, from these same billionaires, funneled through various non-profits in coordination with Federalist Society Board Chair Leonard Leo.[10]

Billionaires are using their untaxed income to buy the Supreme Court and bend our democracy to their will.

Add your name to demand Congress act to hold the Supreme Court to the same ethical standards as every other court in the land.

The Court has already demonstrated a complete inability to hold itself accountable for numerous ethical lapses and conflicts of interest. That means it’s up to us and Congress to hold conflicted justices accountable.

Thank you for taking action today,

Sarah Christopherson
Legislative and Policy Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund

[1] Justice Samuel Alito Took Luxury Fishing Vacation With GOP Billionaire Who Later Had Cases Before the Court
[2] Alito, Thomas Headlined Political Fundraisers Chaired By Leading Right-Wing Donor Paul Singer
[3] Report: Billionaire That Gifted Justice Alito Luxury Trip Holds At Least $90M in Financial Companies Overseen by CFPB
[4] Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire
[5] Clarence Thomas Secretly Participated in Koch Network Donor Events
[6] Clarence Thomas’ 38 Vacations: The Other Billionaires Who Have Treated the Supreme Court Justice to Luxury Travel
[7] Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal.
[8] Clarence Thomas Had a Child in Private School. Harlan Crow Paid the Tuition.
[9] The Supreme Court’s Next Big Tax Case Demands Clarence Thomas’ Recusal
[10] What Ginni Thomas and Leonard Leo wrought: How a justice’s wife and a key activist started a movement